Tomorrow night, Wednesday December 7 at 8pm PT/11 pm ET, you can catch a 10 minute sneak peak of the film in addition to Q & A with DJ premier, Skrillex, The Crystal Method, Erykah Badu, and Director Amir Bar-Lev hosted by Jason Bentley.

The live stream will feature an introduction by Jason Bentley (KCRW “Morning Becomes Eclectic” radio host), followed by a short preview of the RE:GENERATION documentary, a Q&A with its featured artists DJ Premier, Skrillex, The Crystal Method, Erykah Badu and director Amir BAR-Lev, followed by a viewing of the RE:GENERATION Music Project’s videos of the film’s five songs, two of which–by Mark Ronson and Skrillex—have not been made available yet.

You can experience some of the music from the RE:GENERATION MUSIC PROJECT now below:

DJ Premier “Regeneration” featuring NAS and the Berklee Symphony Orchestrtra

The Crystal Method “I’m Not Leaving” featuring Martha Reeves and The Funk Brothers

Pretty Lights “Wayfaring Stranger” featuring LeAnn Rimes and Dr. Ralph Stanley

Mark Ronson “A La Modeliste” featuring Erykah Badu, Tromobone Shorty, Mos Def, Zigaboo Modeliste and members of The Dap Kings

Skrillex “Breakn’ A Sweat” featuring Members of The Doors (Ray Manzarek, Robby Krieger, John Densmore)

Check out the RE:GENERATION trailer on below

Just a few days before, he expressed that same mentality from his Los Angeles home studio.

“You can’t bring some half-ass shit to Detroit,” said Ellison. “People go there with the mentality of destroying — destroying the party, destroying the DJ before them, whatever. I like to have fun, too… but when you’re in Detroit, you can’t fuck around.” The sentiment is made that much sweeter knowing Ellison’s family still resides in the area (his great aunt, the great late Alice Coltrane, was born in Detroit).

Ellison rocked like the stage with the excitement of a rookie, like he’s never seen 1,000+ people in front of him. Each sample he dropped, he lip-synched along with it like there was some deeper meaning within each track (his fondness for Lil’ Wayne was evident throughout the hour-and-a-half performance). Ellison also brought his sense of humor, bumping his way through Radiohead’s “Idioteque” as a way of answering rumblings that he might be remixing an upcoming Radiohead record.

Before Ellison arrived to rock the Red Bull Music Academy stage and close out Movement 2011, we caught up with him at home to discuss his upcoming work as a producer, his growing interest in the written word and the pressures of running his own label, the aptly titled Brainfeeder.

Word on the street is that you are busy producing the new Thundercat record, one of the artists on your Brainfeeder roster.

I think it’s going to be one of the most important records out this year — not because of my involvement, but because it’s music that we are not hearing right now. A lot of the stuff that we’re hearing this year is very, very familiar. You can talk about mainstream stuff or you can talk about the underground stuff, but it’s all real familiar.

But with Thundercat, I can say with full confidence that you haven’t heard nothing like this. But you’ve been wanting to (laughs). It’s very exceptional, you know? But it’s still challenging. There’s lots of jazz playing on there. At the same time, there are lots of ballad-y songs. It’s such a pleasure to work with the guy because he’s an amazing musician. It makes the work that I do very, very easy. For anyone who is wondering, that album is expected to drop at the end of August.

That plays into the idea that you are taking on more and more production work.

This year I am. I’ve been working on other things. I don’t feel the need to make a record for myself right now.

A producer can easily become a fifth member of a band. If you look at a guy like Jon Brion (Kanye West, Fiona Apple), you can always tell when he is on a record. What’s the role of a producer to you?

It’s definitely different for the two projects I’m working on — one being the Thundercat record, the other being the Erykah Badu record. The Thundercat [record] is more of a Quincy Jones situation… where that record was almost complete before I was brought in. What I did was help flesh out the ideas on some of these tracks and put the record together in a way that is cohesive.

With Badu, I’m starting from scratch. It’s really interesting to deal with two different people. It’s a fun learning process for me as an artist. I’ve never really felt the need to step out on my own, but now, I really like the idea especially at a time when I don’t want to be producing my own record.

There is always a risk that you can get lost in your own work when producing a record you wrote and recorded yourself. It’s like a screenwriter directing his own movie.

My year without making a record is like me being a student again. I’ve been studying piano more and studying motion graphics. I’ve been applying myself all over again. It’s definitely one of those years where I’m back in the cocoon.

Are you picking up techniques and practical skills you’ll apply on future projects?

Absolutely. More than anything, I’ve been fascinated with songwriting because it’s an area I haven’t really dived into much. I’ve lived a crazy life and, for a long time, I’ve been really terrified of words.

What do you mean by “crazy life?”

Well, I mean, my life is crazy, dude. I’m sure yours is, too. I’ve dealt with a lot in the past five years. I finally feel like I have enough life experience to write songs and not regret the words that I wrote down the road. Right now, I feel like if I write something, I’ll mean it. I might not feel like that ten years down the road, but I’ll be able to say, “Well, shit. That was the true shit at the time!”

It’s like a tattoo. You don’t want to get one you’ll regret.

Absolutely! I’ve been comparing songwriting to that for a long time because I don’t have any tattoos and I’m terrified of getting one. I’m afraid that I’ll get all buff and the tattoo will move out of the place from where I put it, you know? I’ll put it on my shoulder and it’ll end up on my triceps or something (laughs).

As time goes on and you accomplish more as an artist, do you find that it’s easier to get the things done that you want to do?

Absolutely not. It’s tough to do everything now because there is so much risk and responsibility. It’s not so much about creative voice, but more about the fact that I’ve got a label and other peoples’ reputation on the line. It’s weird (laughs). It’s like being a dad in the way. I gotta make sure the kiddies eat.

You’ve got brand to protect now.

Even if I don’t want to pick up the phone, I still have to do it for other people. It’s awesome, but at the same time, dusk rolls around and all I’ve done is check e-mails. But I don’t have to work a regular job, so I can’t complain about shit, can I? There’s more work to do than just showing up at the party, that’s for sure.

Words by Ryan Patrick Hooper. Photos by Joe Gall.

Today’s bloggin best…

- Obama backs royalties for radio plays. AOL

- Libertines announce a reunion in, where else, a pub. Stereogum

- New Band of Horses song, “Compliments.” SPIN

- Erykah Badu on Chelsea Lately is squirm inducing. URB

- Rockers F**ked Up are being sued by their energy drink sponsor. NME

- New MP3 from disco dons Holy Ghost! Hypetrak

- Death of the hipster declared, which probably means it’s about to get really popular. Salon

Today’s bloggin best…

- TRON trailers get remixed. Boing Boing

- Police could arrest Erykah Badu for nude video shoot. That certainly doesn’t prove a point. Hip Hop Wired

- Biggie Smalls times The xx equals The Notorious xx. Prefix

- Some people may have heard new Burial music late one night, maybe. LA Times

- LCD Soundsystem album gets a name and a face. Consequence of Sound

- Did Flat Eric just eat LSD with Pharrell? Asian Man Dan

- Crystal Castles release a 90-second song for Record Store Day. Pitchfork

Today’s bloggin best…

- A new Jay-Z / Dr. Dre song might be dropping this week. 2dopeboyz

- Johnny Marr could play in two bands at Reading Festival. NME

- Madlibs drops bombs with Guilty Simpson and Strong Arm Steady.

- Gorillaz got an online video game. Pitchfork

- If wrestlers were rappers. Complex

- Erykah Badu gets naked and assassinated in new video. SFGate

- Deadmau5 goes Hollywood, guests on Gossip Girl, hangs with Tommy Lee. MTV

Today’s best bloggin…

- A-Trak and Travis Barker live from the Roxy video. Hypertrak

- Interview with sexy stripper from Star Warz. LA Weekly

- All new Erykah Badu MP3, produced by Madlib. Okayplayer

- Death to the “hipster.” Searching for a new word order. Gawker

- Beck covered INXS…uh, no he didn’t. TwentyFourBit

- R.I.P. Alex Chilton. NYT

- Plastikman unveils iPhone app for live show audience participation. URBA-A-Trak & Travis

Built within the sprawling, 100,000-square-foot industrial park that has recently become the new home to Red Bull Headquarters, the company’s own Red Bull Studios is barely two years old and already boasts not only the latest in state-of-the-art recording technology, but also the perfect amount of expertly-designed studio space.

Planning a world-class recording facility which could match the industry’s best was no easy task, so Red Bull wisely enlisted the help of two giants: Troy Germano and David Bell of Studio Design Group, the same masterminds who honed their skills at New York’s legendary The Hit Factory, once recording home to John Lennon, Bruce Springsteen, Paul Simon, and Michael Jackson. It’s a studio that has already earned the 2008 TEC award for Outstanding Creative Achievement in design, as well as acclaim from MIX magazine and some of the industry’s biggest critics. And with good reason: not only does this 3,500 square-foot studio boast an immense tracking room, the latest in Pro-Tools recording technology, an Exigy Monitoring system and top-of-the-line analog gear, but its designers know quality sound is invaluable—thus their custom red-and-blue SSL K-Series mixing board, the last of its prized kind. In addition to this, bands and artists have access to Red Bull Studios’ helmsman/engineering guru Eric Stenman, who has worked with everyone from Dashboard Confessional to Anthrax to Saves the Day.

Partnering with Red Bull, legendary Hip Hop pioneer Nas helped an aspiring young producer’s dreams come alive. Like something out of a Hollywood movie, Chicago native C-Sick was the last man standing at the 2008 Red Bull Big Tune Competition. The prize: the privilege of writing a beat which legendary hip-hopper Nas would rap over. With Red Bull Studios and his original song “Film”, 17 year-old C-Sick was suddenly a viable contender, one who had made a quantum leap from recording in his grandmother’s basement.

Nas wasn’t alone in his decision to work with the company. Earlier this year, Hip Hop Goddess Erykah Badu utilized Red Bull Studios to complete her latest record, New Amerykah Part 2 (Return of the Ankh). A Grammy-winning soul singer with several platinum records to her name, having access to the Red Bull’s advanced equipment only improved an already amazing signature sound, and soon the singer found herself with a new recording home.

In addition to these illustrious recording artists, Motown Universal Records’ sensation Forever the Sickest Kids (FTSK) took advantage of Red Bull Studios to produce their first album, Underdog Alma Mater, in 2007. With only one released LP to their name, the Dallas sextet are already Warped Tour veterans, and have earned critical acclaim from magazines such as Alternative Press. And when their debut went on to sell 100,000 + copies, FTSK decided to repeat the magic: recently the band ventured back into Red Bull Studios to record their follow-up, The Weekend: Friday, slated for release on November 17. Fortunately those of you jonesing for a clip of the band’s latest don’t have to wait– here’s an exclusive and unreleased clip of “Take it Slow”,  recorded in entirety at the studio.

Forever The Sickest Kids – Take it Slow

With the most advanced in digital equipment, as well as a fervent embrace of the analog sounds of old, Red Bull Studios has taken a completely unique approach to the recording process in its revolutionary design in space and sound. More importantly, it’s taken the time to personalize working relationships with its artists, something lacking in the fluctuating, competitive music industry of today. It is these same qualities, overlooked so often in the contemporary music world, which continue to earn the studio accolades from both the industry’s harshest critics— and more importantly, from those artists who have chosen Red Bull Studios as their recording sanctuary.

Words by Jeff Nau

Now hear this kiddos… I got a taste of its yummy goodness this weekend, and it makes me want to strip down to my knee socks and have sexual congress with the Kool-Aid Man.

INGREDIENTS

1 Unparalleled musical conversation performance.

4 rounds of audience-participated back-and-forth battle with the winner decided by audible vote.

10 parts Erykah Badu’s long-time secretive side project, The Cannabinoids.

4 parts Shiny Toy Guns, Grammy-nominated electronica/indie/rock band from Los Angeles.

1,000-ish screaming University of Texas fans.

1,000-ish University of Oklahoma rival fans.

100 cases of assorted Red Bull flavorings.

50 cases of assorted Boozery.

20 tons of lighting, cameras, and general concert accoutrement.

2 stages

Directions

Warm up the crowd numbering 2,000-ish of arguably the greatest collegiate rivals in town for one of the biggest games of the year, with a mini pep rally.

Now have each band come out onto their respective stages and perform 3 of their own songs.

Erykah Badu’s hip-hop, pop, funk, R&B and soul Cannabinoids, followed by Shiny Toy Guns’ rock, pop, synth, and vocal duo.

Step 1- The Cover

Each band is to do its own previously rehearsed version of the Jackson 5’s “Never Can Say Goodbye’. Badu dons sparkly glove and grabs crotch. Winner, winner, chicken dinner.

Step 2- The Takeover

Begin with each band starting one of its own respective songs and then stopping mid track and letting the other band finish said song.

Badu slides in to “Tyrone’ and mid-track stops and has STG power its way through the rest.

STG launch’s into “Ghost Town’ and Badu’s Cannabinoids soothe their way on down the street.

A wee bit confusing at first, but the aural mix was enveloping. I got lost and think there might have been another song in there (or two– alas, I forgot to take my meds this day). Badu takes the point?

Step 3 – The Clash

Each band is to take one of their hardest driven/upbeat tunes and transform it into different genres– a mellow ballad, a dub, and my personal favorite, country. This last genre proved to be the most interesting: Badu stepped out held her own Texas roots with a yeehaw-laden “Soldier” followed by Petree donning a black cowboy hat and an old school country drawl for his acoustic duo rendition of “Chemistry of a Car Crash.”

The Okies have it. (By the way: Half of STG is from Shawnee, OK)

Step 4-The Wild Card

This final round requires each band to bring a “surprise” guest on stage.  STG went with spinner warrior DJ Billy Sexcrime wearing Fall’s loveliest line of old school football regalia.  Badu on the other hand brought out ex-Tripping Daisies and current Polyphonic Spree front man Tim Delaughter, who melted our faces off with what appeared to be an Etch-a-Sketch on acid.

All hands praise the Queen of R&B.

Step 5 – Serve and Enjoy While HOT!

The bands ended the night by having all 16+ members join together on a single stage and “Phish-ing” the night away for an extended period of musical improv. I can’t exactly say what went down over the course of those 3 hours in front of the American Airlines Center in Dallas, TX for the rest of the screaming crowd. But for a concert-purging person such as I, it’s nice to know that I left intoxicated by more than mere booze.

Words and Photos by Dustin Downing

Badu’s Soulful Alchemy:
The first topic of discussion is her new album that drops later this year. This is her second album in two years, and that’s a rarity in itself.
EB: It’s a continuation of [last year’s] record. I recorded it all at the same time – and just split it into two projects. This new one, Amerykah Part 2, is the right brain counterpart to the first one whereas last year’s was the left brain expression of where I am right now. This new project is for the emotional man and Part 1 was for the thinking man.

She goes on to explain the meaning behind the phrase, “Return of the Ankh” added into the title of the upcoming project –[the Ankh being the ancient Egyptian Hieroglyphic character that symbolizes eternal life.]
EB: It’s a rebirth of consciousness for us all,” she intones, “for the slaves and for the slave masters alike. It’s the beginning of a new thought process, a healing for our planet. That’s what I see in my mind right now.  I’ve felt it for a while now, and as I grew more into adulthood I felt it more. I feel people are moving towards a state of more physical, mental and spiritual health.

One would think Erika would be feeling immense amounts of pressure dropping a fresh project after last year’s critically-lauded opus. Perhaps all the adulation for Amerykah Part 1 was because the fans hadn’t heard from her  in so long, or maybe it was the buzz generated by interest in her personal  life (even in her musical absence, the rumor mills were going strong about her May-December romance  with rapper Jay Electronica). Regardless of what the underlying factors were, it’s a fact that damn near everyone loved her new stuff. Amerykah’s first single “Honey,” produced by 9th Wonder , was lovingly embraced,  and music reviewers and journalists from both  high and low brow publications sang the praises of Erykah’s return. When it came time to rank the top releases of 2008, influential DJs and radio personalities (including the UK’s well-revered Gilles Peterson) placed it at the very top of their lists. So yeah, there must have been some anxiety on her end …

EB: I didn’t feel any pressure making last year’s album, and I don’t feel any now. I feel honored and grateful because I worked really hard to get this project done, but musically, spiritually it’s effortless because that’s how they made me … and put it like this, I don’t take it for granted at all. It fills me up and it’s enough to go on and finish this other part. I’ve never underestimated the people’s ability to feel where I am in life.

Musically, the same sonic chefs from last year’s LP are serving the instrumental textures for her pending release.

EB: On the new one, I’m sticking with the same producers. Mad Lib, Sa-Ra, Kareem Riggins, Jah Born, James Poysner, Mama’s Gun crew and the Worldwide Underground crew. We are all avid music collectors and music historians and it all just works perfectly together. This album will also include a J. Dilla track that didn’t make the first release.

Staying on the topic of music collecting and connoisseurship , Erykah and I jump into a lightning round session about who she’s bumping in her I-pod as well as other random musical topics.

As far as what she’s listening to presently:
EB: Lightning Hopkins , an old blues singer, he’s one of the founders of what we know as rock guitar playing, Sa-Ra Creative Partners,  Janelle Monae … Of course, I really like Hip-Hop in its realest form:  Funky  Four Plus One, The Cold Crush Brothers, The Roots album, Do You Want More?!!, Cody Chestnutt– his whole album, “The Headphone Masterpiece” is just wonderful.

About what song by any other artist she wishes she’d written, she replies quickly without the least bit of hesitation:
EB: Jill Scott’s – A long Walk in The Park.

Regarding whose opinion she values above all others when it comes to her music:
EB: That would have to be my Mother. She’ll tell me when a song is whack and she’ll be like,  that’s not it, go back in and work on that.

Concerning what the closing song would be on the soundtrack of her life:
EB: It would have to be the whole suite of Dark Side of The Moon by Pink Floyd.

On her creative musical process:
EB: It comes when it comes. It’s like this, if the sun is out, it’s out – if it’s not, it’s not. That why my albums are so far in-between and check this out … it’s easier to write for someone else because I don’t put so much judgment on it – I just do it freely.

Each One Reach One:
Even though her music dominates almost all her daily interactions, Erykah realizes  there is much more to life than just recording studios and live sets. The concept of giving back to the community is extremely important to her, so she started a non-profit organization called B.L.I.N.D. which stands for “Beautiful Love Incorporating Non Profit Development.”
EB: Our motto [for the non-profit] is Love Is Blind and we operate in different areas of art, science and education. We reach out to different races, cultures and ages to put art back into those communities. It’s been a hard but rewarding struggle. We started in 1999, but in 2003 is when we really came into our own and started cooperating with different organizations and groups.

When the last question is posed about whether  she’d want to revisit and change any period in her past, the 38-yr-old mother of three (her kids’ names are Seven, Puma and Mars) gives an answer that’s undeniably Badu.

EB: I would never choose to go back. I experience every day of my life to the fullest. If it’s a pleasant thing or a sorrowful thing I am completely there.  I’m aware of the great things I’ve accomplished and I know the places I have yet to go and things yet to do.

Stay tuned for Erykah’s next full-length concerto, and in the meantime, the Soul Quest goes on.

Words by Geo Hagan

http://www.erykahbadu.com/